Update with photos: ‘No Pants Light Rail Ride’ kicks off in Seattle

Update 2:22: We already knew Seattleites love to get nearly-to-dearly naked in public, and a handful are braving the cold riding the light rail without pants once more this Sunday. A few more than a dozen got down to it this afternoon, a much smaller group than last year.

We’ll have more photos later this afternoon. Here are photos from Seattle’s No Pants Light Rail Ride, 2013.

Participants get ready for the No Pants Light Rail ride in Seattle on Sunday. (Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM)

Yes, it’s that time again. For the fourth year running, Emerald City Improv is organizing a No Pants Light Rail Ride. So if you’re taking the light rail in the next couple of hours, expect to see a little more leg than usual. In the gallery below, you can see last year’s No Pants Ride. (Also below … is our gallery showing just how much Seattleites love to get naked in public.)

Update 1-13-13, 9:30 am: Representatives from Emerald City Improv said yesterday that they expect “between a hundred or two” people to show up this afternoon.

Luke Greenway wrote in an email response to “Why?!”: “No Pants, like everything we do, is designed to be fun for our participants and for everyone who happens to witness the event. We try and inject some zaniness into peoples’ normal routines, to remind them that riding the light rail doesn’t just have to be riding the light rail. For us, the city is a playground.”

Kelsey Wildstone added: “Because we can! Ok, actually because it’s fun. And because New York’s Improv Everywhere group started it over 10 years ago in response to the signs that said “shirt and shoes required” but didn’t say anything about pants …”

We’ll let you know when the event gets underwear … er, way … and later we’ll have a photo slideshow of it all.

Original story resumes:

“Take off your pants, ride the light rail, and pretend that everything is normal!” the group exclaims on its Facebook page. So far, 181 people on Facebook say they’ll be there with another 156 a solid maybe. Comments on the Facebook invite page show how torn some people are between rooting for the Seahawks in their playoff game against the Falcons and trotting around half naked.

“I would totally go to this but HELLO SEAHAWKS game!!!!” one person wrote, adding “I will just sit at home pantsless watching the game to make up for it haha”

The event does start after the game, however, so it’s likely some will split the difference and wear a football jersey above briefs.

For whomever shows up, let’s hope they bring a jacket. The weather on Sunday is supposed to be pretty dry but chilly. The organizers also want participants and anyone else concerned to know that this isn’t some fully naked, all-nude, let-it-all-out affair.

These are the rules:

Take your pants off on light rail

Stay in character and don’t say what’s going on (keep a straight face – or at least try!)

The No Pants ride in 2012: Participant Reshelle Tusing, at left, rides the light rail to Sea-Tac Airport without her pants on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

The No Pants ride in 2012: Participant Reshelle Tusing, at left, rides the light rail to Sea-Tac Airport without her pants on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride ... more

Photo: LINDSEY WASSON / SEATTLEPI.COM

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Participants take their pants off while they buy light rail tickets at the Westlake station in downtown Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride as a public performance. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

Participants take their pants off while they buy light rail tickets at the Westlake station in downtown Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride as a public ... more

No Pants! Light rail participants walk into the main terminal at Sea-Tac Airport. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

No Pants! Light rail participants walk into the main terminal at Sea-Tac Airport. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake ... more

People celebrate as a commuter decides to join the fun by taking their pants off on the light rail ride to Sea-Tac Airport. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

People celebrate as a commuter decides to join the fun by taking their pants off on the light rail ride to Sea-Tac Airport. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on ... more

Photo: LINDSEY WASSON / SEATTLEPI.COM

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A No Pants! Light rail participants walks through the main terminal at Sea-Tac Airport. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

A No Pants! Light rail participants walks through the main terminal at Sea-Tac Airport. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at ... more

Friends reunite with Heather Ryan, third from left, who happened to be returning home from Austraiia while her friends participated in the No Pants! Light Rail ride at Sea-Tac Airport on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and travelled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

Friends reunite with Heather Ryan, third from left, who happened to be returning home from Austraiia while her friends participated in the No Pants! Light Rail ride at Sea-Tac Airport on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald ... more

Photo: LINDSEY WASSON / SEATTLEPI.COM

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Friends reunite with Heather Ryan, who is hiding her face with a magazine after seeing that her friends pantless. She happened to be returning home from Austraiia while her friends participated in the No Pants! Light Rail ride at Sea-Tac Airport on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

Friends reunite with Heather Ryan, who is hiding her face with a magazine after seeing that her friends pantless. She happened to be returning home from Austraiia while her friends participated in the No ... more

No Pants! Light Rail Ride participants pretend to wait for their pants at the baggage claim at Sea-Tac Airport on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

No Pants! Light Rail Ride participants pretend to wait for their pants at the baggage claim at Sea-Tac Airport on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle. ... more

Photo: JOE DYER / SEATTLEPI.COM

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Alejandro Hermosilla, pictured at Westlake Station, returns from Sea-Tac Airport after coming from Spain. He decided to join the No Pants! Light Rail Ride after seeing people without their pants on in the airport. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

Alejandro Hermosilla, pictured at Westlake Station, returns from Sea-Tac Airport after coming from Spain. He decided to join the No Pants! Light Rail Ride after seeing people without their pants on in the ... more

Participant Thai Dao, at right, pictured at Westlake Station, returns from Sea-Tac Airport after riding the light rail without his pants on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

Participant Thai Dao, at right, pictured at Westlake Station, returns from Sea-Tac Airport after riding the light rail without his pants on Jan. 8, 2012. Emerald City Improv hosted the 3rd Annual No Pants! ... more

Photo: JOE DYER / SEATTLEPI.COM

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People gather at Westlake Park for the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, surprising unsuspecting commuters along the way. less

People gather at Westlake Park for the 3rd Annual No Pants! Light Rail Ride in Seattle on Jan. 8, 2012. Participants met at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle and traveled to Sea-Tac airport via light rail, ... more

Photo: LINDSEY WASSON / SEATTLEPI.COM

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Update with photos: 'No Pants Light Rail Ride' kicks off in Seattle

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Here’s that gallery showing just how much we’re into exposing our own skin:

This won't be Seattle's first undie run. University of Washington students regularly coordinate a stripped-down sprint across campus.

This won't be Seattle's first undie run. University of Washington students regularly coordinate a stripped-down sprint across campus.

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Those runs are also for charitable causes...

Those runs are also for charitable causes...

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Though we suspect some people just do it for an excuse to act goofy in their underwear.

Though we suspect some people just do it for an excuse to act goofy in their underwear.

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One thing you'll learn at an undie run: There's safety in numbers.

One thing you'll learn at an undie run: There's safety in numbers.

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That's even more true when the undies come off, like at Seattle's annual Fremont Solstice Parade.

That's even more true when the undies come off, like at Seattle's annual Fremont Solstice Parade.

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That's where dozens of brave souls strip down, paint up and hop on their bikes.

That's where dozens of brave souls strip down, paint up and hop on their bikes.

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The Solstice Parade is one of Seattle's true "naked events." Oddly, it's considered a family-friendly affair, so you can bring the kiddos.

The Solstice Parade is one of Seattle's true "naked events." Oddly, it's considered a family-friendly affair, so you can bring the kiddos.

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Fun trivia fact: Other cities around the world also host naked bike rides -- this one is in London. But Seattle was the first city in the U.S. to start biking in the buff.

Fun trivia fact: Other cities around the world also host naked bike rides -- this one is in London. But Seattle was the first city in the U.S. to start biking in the buff.

Photo: Getty Images

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The Naked Pumpkin Run (also in Fremont) is another of Seattle's truly-naked events. The Pumpkin Run happens near Halloween every year, and provides shy people with the option of hiding inside jack-o'-lanterns. less

The Naked Pumpkin Run (also in Fremont) is another of Seattle's truly-naked events. The Pumpkin Run happens near Halloween every year, and provides shy people with the option of hiding inside ... more

Even the protesters go nearly-nude in Seattle. At least, when they're working for PETA. The animal-rights group regularly coordinates demonstrations involving scantly-clad women in Seattle and other major cities. less

Even the protesters go nearly-nude in Seattle. At least, when they're working for PETA. The animal-rights group regularly coordinates demonstrations involving scantly-clad women in Seattle and other major ... more

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In Seattle, it's not so shocking. See? The kids love it.

In Seattle, it's not so shocking. See? The kids love it.

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OK, maybe it's a little shocking sometimes.

OK, maybe it's a little shocking sometimes.

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Update with photos: 'No Pants Light Rail Ride' kicks off in Seattle

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